In The Independent today there is a column on media studies within the daily Viewspaper which talks about The Spectator having recently been on the receiving end of some expensive legal cases. The first dates back to 2008 when their site published an article by Stephen Pollard, editor of the Jewish Chronicle, which described a London based Islamist group called IslamExpo as racist, fascist and genocidal. Possibly not the best way to avoid libel action. A couple of months back the magazine had to post an apology but only after incurring substantial losses.
An influential figure of the IslamExpo group, a Palestinian emigre by the name of Mohammed Sawalha has also been settled with by The Spectator after a blog was published on their website which the man considered libellous. The blog, by Melanie Phillips has also incurred costs to the magazine, said to run into hundreds of thousands of pounds. Although these were relatively small publications, they are of course still vulnerable to all sorts of legal action. Middle Eastern politics must be negotiated with care as they present a danger to journalists who do not know their facts. This is also a good example of how dangerous it is sometimes to just put any old thing in your blog. I for one will be more careful from now on, especially as I now know the dangers and can no longer claim ignorance, for all that would have done.
good example
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